Over 20 States Create Coalition Against ATF

Okay get this. There’s now 21 states that have joined together to write up a lawsuit.

And this lawsuit is opposing the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

This stems from a new rule that rewrites the definition of when a person is a firearms dealer.

Isn’t that just typical Democrat? Constantly redefining words with broad generic terms so they can wield it against the people.

This final rule was the last straw for these states and now they’re fighting back before it kicks in on May 20.

🚨 Breaking: Today, myself and the Attorney General of Kansas announced that we are filing a lawsuit against a new Biden ATF regulation that would subject hundreds of thousands of law-abiding gun owners to presumptions of criminal guilt for engaging in the constitutionally… https://t.co/eViYfWWN2A

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 1, 2024

MSN reports:

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined a coalition of 21 states in a lawsuit opposing an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) rule that broadens the definition of when a person is considered “engaged in the business” as a dealer in firearms.

The final rule seeks to require a federal firearms dealer license for anybody who sells a firearm for anything the ATF sees as a profit, including currency, exchange of another firearm, or a service.

The rule goes into effect Monday, May 20.

AG Hilgers said it could make a felon of a gun hobbyist who sells a firearm to another family member or a hunter who trades a firearm with another hunting buddy.

“Until now, those who repetitively purchased and sold firearms as a regular course of business had to become a licensee… This rule would put innocent firearm sales between law-abiding friends and family members within reach of federal regulation,” the court filing reads.

This rule stands to harm gun owners and attempts to create a universal background check system through executive fiat.

Read our full filing here: ⤵️https://t.co/d02IdmD7sg

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) May 2, 2024

NBC News adds:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is once again in a legal battle with the federal government. This time the issue is over requiring background checks for private-owner gun sales.

Earlier this spring the Justice Department expanded rules requiring background checks and licenses for private gun sales. Many guns are sold and traded on the private market, between friends and family, and at gun shows. The new rule treats those sales like the ones made at gun stores.

Paxton said the rules are an unconstitutional expansion of federal rules and he’s leading a multistate coalition in suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for “unlawfully attempting to abridge Americans’ constitutional right to privately buy and sell firearms.”

Paxton said Wednesday morning an action like that is required to go through Congress and he hopes to stop enforcement of the rules in court.

“Yet again, Joe Biden is weaponizing the federal bureaucracy to rip up the Constitution and destroy our citizens’ Second Amendment rights,” Paxton said in a statement. “This is a dramatic escalation of his tyrannical abuse of authority. With today’s lawsuit, it is my great honor to defend our Constitutionally-protected freedoms from the out-of-control federal government.”

On Wednesday, GOA and @GunFoundation jointly filed our lawsuit against ATF’s Universal Registration Check rule with Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, as well as Tennessee Firearms Association, and Virginia Citizens Defense League.

Join Phil Reboli, the host of GOA’s new Law… pic.twitter.com/AgeHVmqJj3

— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) May 2, 2024